Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Batrep 1750 Tyranids vs Blood Angels

I had the opportunity to play with Marshall yesterday over at Battle Bunker. He is a fellow Hive Mind and one that I ran into regularly at our usual game stores. Really nice guy, no air about him and certainly one that I would recommend playing with. He brought a 1750 Blood Angels list and we rolled off on the usual prebattle stuff. 

Deployment: Vanguard
Mission: The Scouring

Warlord Traits:
Nids: Master of Offence (Personal Traits)
BA: Intimidating Presence (Command Traits)

Psychic Powers:
Nids: Biomancy 
Flyrant (Warlord) - Iron Arm and Endurance
Flyrant - Enfeeble and Endurance
BA: Divination
Librarian - Prescience and Perfect Timing

Army lists:

Blood Angels

HQ
Librarian - 125 pts
Jump pack, (Divination)

Elites
2 S.Priests - 150 pts
2 Jump packs

Furioso dreadnought - 135 pts
Blood talons, heavy flamer

Troops
3x10 Assault Marines - 3x240 pts
Jump packs, 2 M.Guns, T.hammer

Fast Attack
3xBaal predator - 3x120 pts
Twin link assault cannon, dozer blade

Heavy support

Stormraven gunship - 240 pts
Twin link assault cannon, cyclone missiles, 4 blood strike missiles, locator beacon

Tyranids
HQ
* Hive Tyrant (285pts)
(Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Synapse Creature)
Bonded Exoskeleton, Old Adversary (25pts), Paroxysm, Psychic Scream, 2x Twin-linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms (30pts), Wings (60pts)

* Hive Tyrant (260pts)
(Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Synapse Creature)
Bonded Exoskeleton, Paroxysm, Psychic Scream, 2x Twin-linked Devourers with Brainleech Worms (30pts), Wings (60pts)

+ Elites + (430pts)

* Hive Guard Brood (150pts)
* 3x Hive Guard (150pts)
(Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk)
3x Claws and Teeth, 3x Hardened Carapace, 3x Impaler Cannon

* Hive Guard Brood (150pts)
* 3x Hive Guard (150pts)
(Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk)
3x Claws and Teeth, 3x Hardened Carapace, 3x Impaler Cannon

* The Doom of Malan'tai (130pts)
(Absorb Life, Fearless, Instinctive Behaviour - Feed, Psychic Strength, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spirit Leach, Warp Field)
Cataclysm, Claws and Teeth, Reinforced Chitin
* Mycetic Spore (40pts)
(Deep Strike, Fearless, Immobile Pod, Limited Sentience, Transport Spore)
Hardened Carapace, Lash Whip, Ripper Tentacles

+ Troops + (455pts)

* Termagant Brood (55pts)
* 11x Termagant (55pts)
(The Scuttling Swarm)
11x Chitin, 11x Claws and Teeth, 11x Fleshborer

* Termagant Brood (50pts)
* 10x Termagant (50pts)
(The Scuttling Swarm)
10x Chitin, 10x Claws and Teeth, 10x Fleshborer

* Tervigon (175pts)
(Brood Progenitor, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spawn Termagants, Synapse Creature)
Bonded exoskeleton, Catalyst (15pts), Claws and teeth, Cluster Spines, Dominion

* Tervigon (175pts)
(Brood Progenitor, Psyker, Shadow in the Warp, Spawn Termagants, Synapse Creature)
Bonded exoskeleton, Catalyst (15pts), Claws and teeth, Cluster Spines, Dominion

+ Fast Attack + (120pts)

* Gargoyle Brood (120pts)
* 20x Gargoyle (120pts)
(Instinctive Behaviour - Lurk)
20x Blinding Venom, 20x Chitin, 20x Claws and Teeth, 20x Fleshborer, 20x Wings

+ Heavy Support + (200pts)

* Trygon (200pts)
(Deep Strike, Fearless, Fleet, Subterranean Assault)
Bio-electric Pulse, Bonded Exoskeleton, Scything Talons (two sets)

I won the rolloff for deployment and selected the table half to deploy my gribllies. 

Nids deployment
Flanked my army on both sides with my Tervigons and Flyrants to provide double Synapse coverage. Marshall is a Nid Hive Mind so will be looking out for opportunities to deny me my Fearless rolls. Cunning fella!

Blood Angels deployment

While the model you see here does not have wings, both Tyrants actually are Flyrants. I am building it! This was meant to be my mobile force, threatening anything that outshoots me.

This actual flying tyrant is my Warlord. Managed to cast Iron Arm on it in the first Turn for +1 Str and Toughness.
Pushed forward
My right flank was stronger of the two and Marshall deployed likewise, to mirror and threaten my right flank. The 4 point objective was sitting in his table half but I had my Gargoyles and Flyrant eyeing it. I pushed my right flank quite aggressively considering I had the Trygon and Iron Arm Flyrant here.

Turn 1 BA pushes forward to engage the Nids
Marshall was equally aggressive. We both agreed that aggressive armies are best played that way and when two meet, you get lots of blood and action. Marshall poured all the firepower he had into two main units I had. The Trygon and a unit of Hive Guard sitting closer to the back of my lines.

My left flank and the 4 point objective. 

After a punishing round of shooting, my Trygon took 5 wounds and was teetering on it's last wound. Ouch.

And I also lost 2 Hive Guards from this unit from the 1st turn of shooting.

Tyranids movement Turn 2

Doom of Malantai says Hi
In turn 2, my Doom of Malantai decided to drop by and say "hi". Out it popped but managed to do very little. Booo. On the bright side, both my Tervigons were still able to generate Termagants.

Turn 2 Tyranids
I sent my unit of 11 back to the rear of my army to hold this other objective.

Turn 2 shooting from Tyranids - turning point?
Managed to channel a ton of shots into the Space Marines at the back. Took out a few marines and in return forced a morale check which they actually failed and when Marshall rolled for distance, it was a 10 on 3D6. It was enough to put them off table.

Turn 2 Tyranids shooting
Managed to destroy a tank by shooting it in the back

So they fled leaving a big patch of white

Charged my Trygon and Gants in

BA managed to take out most of my Gants leaving 1. Trygon survives!

The advance continues in Blood Angels' Turn 2 
I don't really understand why Marshall left my Doom of Malantai alone. I had already taken 2 wounds from my own psychic casting and he didn't engage it. He was moving towards my Hive Guard and Tervigon
Pop goes the Trygon
In the Blood Angels' Turn 2, he won the combat and consolidated closer towards the objective.

I sent all my Gant units fleeing as far as possible from the inevitable death of my Tervigon.

Turn 3 Tyranids
While I kept the pressure up on my left flank, his right flank. With both Flyrants getting behind his tanks, I managed to pop another one. The Warlord decided to shoot into his HQ unit and killed off a few more.
Run and stay 12" away from the Momma! 

Turn 3 Tyranids
So try as I might, the Tervigon's death caused quite a lot of popping of smaller Gants. There was little I could do so I lost about 3 units of Gants who were meant to capture objectives. On the bright side, neither did he have units to capture objectives.

Turn 3 Blood Angels
Marshall had quite a bit of bad luck with his Reserve rolls. He had not been able to bring in the Stromraven until Turn 3. With a sigh of relief, it finally arrives.

Drive through, I had to make way.
Marshall quickly took out my Flyrants with his Stormraven. I lost one of the Flyrants in one round of shooting. Now that is one dangerous flyer.

Turn 4 Tyranids
I advance my Warlord up to try to save the remaining Hive Guard and also destroy a few Marines.

Turn 4 Tyranids
Before I could assault with my Tervigon, the remaining Hive Guard managed to pop the can. Nice

Turn 4 I charge in together with the Gargoyles

Unbelievable
So Gargoyles has this special rule that allows them to wound on 6's. Guess how many 6's I rolled?

Keep grinding

Turn 4 Blood Angels - not much left to do

So he drops his Furioso Dread

Finally able to remove the last Marines

3 points so I hugged really tight

Turn 5 Tyranids and Blood Angels end turn
It was here that Marshall realised there was little he could do to prevent me from taking the game. He was however gracious enough to finish the game. Great sportsmanship!

Man of the Match
Conclusion:
Tyranids: First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Objectives, Fast Attack kills
1+1+3+3 = 8 points

Blood Angels: 0 points

A good list is important in 6th Edition and that is something that we cannot ignore. I do not know how Marshall could have played differently but I felt the points sunk into the 3 Fast Attack Baal Predators did not do that much in this game for me. 2 Flyrants are also very tactically useful units. I was able to dictate where and when I get to strike and my opponent had no way to react. In all, I enjoyed the game. Marshall will be re-writing his list and will be back with vengeance I am sure.

I am still contemplating the use of Doom of Malantai. I am not sure if he is able to earn his points back (including the point cost of his Micetic Spore Pod). Still, I plan to use this list at least another 4 more times before any conclusions. 

10 comments:

  1. There is alot of "if only" in the game... If only my right flank held on, if only my air support came in turn 2, if only I remember I still got my feel no pain saves against the trygon... Sigh, but a loss is a loss.. I just have to suck it up and soldier on..

    Well not all is loss, my first 6th ed game using stormraven turn out well.. Blood angels stormravens are one of the best, if not the best dog fighters in the game..

    Thanks for the game..

    Marshall Sim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the beauty of 40k though. Luck sometimes can be a bitch. I have a personal love hate relationship with the luck element. I guess I prefer to just play the game, rewrite my list if it's weak and then get on with it. Always fun to build and paint.

      Delete
    2. So far i realise that the strength of Blood Angels in 6th ed is mass jump infantries with easy access of FnP and Stormravens gunships for air superiority.

      Marshall Sim

      Delete
    3. I have to agree. Your mobility is quite scary. I would have dropped the Furioso. Didn't do much.

      Delete
    4. can keep the Furioso but must take the spinning claws LOL

      Delete
  2. Enrgie using loaded dice again!!!

    Why did Marshall Sim (BA player) move his Baal predators so far in front?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is because the range of the assault cannons are 24". Its str 6 ap 4 which bypass hive guards armor saves... therefore, I got greedy and try to wide out the hive guards... Underestimate the power of 5+ cover save... =(

      Marshall Sim

      Delete
  3. I usually underestimate the power of 5+ cover saves cos I'm the one usually in cover. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with Lady Luck lol. (My 3+ cover Marbo died to Termaguants wtf?)

    Are 2 Flyrants good enough to fight well in the air? One of the things we noted against Sam's Nids was that Nids has nothing that counters aerial units from the ground.

    For BA vs Nids, one unit I would like to consider is the Vanguard Veterans. They can assault on the turn they deep-strike in, so they won't have to be bogged down by Termagaunts throwing themselves like schoolgirls on JB. With BA scattering only D6, I think they can successfully threaten Tervigons hiding behind the battlelines. Add on some Assault Marines in a Stormraven (or even Terminators!) and we can expect some serious Synapse problems for Nids?

    ReplyDelete
  4. And that is the beauty of twin linked 12 shots. Yes we Nids struggle with air units. Only way is to kill the rest of the army and ignore the flyer at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As a BA player and been using vanguard vets since the current BA codex released, I find them slightly overcost for what they can do for the army.

    Yes, vanguard vets are one of the few units that can assault upon arrival, but they are still a bunch of regular marines..

    IMHO, Jump pack assault marines much more point effective. They are cheaper, more versatile with their special weapons and the ablility to score objectives.

    Been finetuning my BA list for the inevitable rematch with Ray, I'm planning to bring 4 squad of 10 assault marines and 10 Death company loaded in a storm raven.

    Marshall Sim

    ReplyDelete

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